Providing a driver of a vehicle with the best possible view of the terrain in front of the vehicle has long been a primary concern in the manufacturing and operation of a vehicle. However, during operation, debris, such as road grime, insects, etc., often gathers on the windshield's outer surface as the vehicle travels down the road. As the debris accumulates on the windshield, the driver's visibility through the windshield becomes impaired. This problem becomes more acute when the vehicle is driven over long distances at highway speeds.
One previously developed solution to this problem is to install a deflector shield, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,386. Typically, the deflector shield, commonly referred to as a “bug deflector,” is mounted near the leading edge of a hood of the vehicle in a fixed position. A vertically oriented deflector shield with a large surface area has been found to provide excellent bug-deflecting efficiency. However, the large surface area and vertical orientation significantly increases the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle, especially at high speeds. Since the deflector shield is mounted in a fixed location, the deflector shield is not adjustable for various vehicle speeds, nor is the deflector shield adjustable on the fly to accommodate a change in environmental conditions, such as a change in insect density. Moreover, the deflector shield remains fixed in one position, and therefore either provides too much drag or too much or too little road debris protection as the vehicle speed or debris density varies from a narrow design range.
Another concern of vehicle manufacturers and operators is the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. It is well known that by improving the aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle, the fuel efficiency of the vehicle can correspondingly be improved. It has been found that by placing an airstream deflector shield upon a vehicle, the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle may be improved. Typically, the deflector shield is mounted near the leading edge of the hood and is shaped and positioned to direct airflow above a roof of a cab of the vehicle, and/or to the sides of the vehicle. It has been found that the optimum position of the wind deflector shield is dependent upon the speed of the vehicle. Previously developed wind deflector shields are typically mounted in a fixed position upon the hood, and are not adjustable in height, longitudinal position, and/or inclination to accommodate changes in vehicle speed. Thus, the wind deflector shield is not adjustable for various vehicle speeds, and an increase in drag is realized whenever the speed of the vehicle varies from the narrow design range at which the wind deflector is positioned for.
Thus there exists a need for a vehicular air control device which is adjustable in height, longitudinal position, and/or inclination to adjust either the debris protection and/or aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle to accommodate changes in conditions, such as vehicle speed and/or debris protection desired. Preferably, the vehicular air control device is adjustable while the vehicle is moving, i.e. with the driver in the cab, so that the position of the vehicular air control device can be adjusted to accommodate changing conditions “on the fly.”